But, in the midst of all the hard work, practice, mental preparation, time, sacrifice, delayed gratification, sometimes the unthinkable happens. Sometimes, injuries happen. And, just like that, an athlete must make a paradigm shift.

Being a teenager is tough enough without taking away the seemingly innate need for physical accomplishment via competitive sports. When injuries occur, it puts the very heart and soul of an athlete to the test.

“Why?” is typically the first response. “Now what?” is next.

The road back from injury is a testament to not ony the athlete’s commitment to sports and personal development, but also a byproduct of support from family and friends, both of which are crucial to the “rehabilitation” of mind, body and spirit during the process of getting back into the game.

At its core, an individual’s self-esteem should not be tied to one’s involvement in athletics. But, like many things in life, it’s a bridge to the future — a building block — and helps a growing and developing person realize goals and experience self-fulfillment in achieving success as an individual and as part of a team.

The actual competition is merely the “test.” The true lessons are learned before the games are even played. They are learned in practice, off-season training, keeping fit through good eating habits, getting enough rest, and surrounding one’s self with good friends.

Jesse Smith and Mary Moyer are two recent examples of life throwing a curve at them.

Both sustained season-ending injuries, and, for Moyer, an injury during gymnastics season will also keep her out of track and field. A tough situation for a senior, as both were. Moyer, who set a school record on the pole vault with a 9-foot vault last year, like Smith, is a versatile athlete who competes in more than one sport.

Smith, an accomplished soccer player who will be competing in the sport in college, missed the last half of wrestling season due to injury. Though soccer is his premier sport, Smith comes from a wrestling family and missed out on an opportunity to compete in the District 3 championships for a second-straight year.

It seems that life is full of unseen things, like driving down the road and not seeing the large deer about to cross the street. When adversity comes our way, it’s like a blindside hit that is impossible to brace for but, in the back of our minds, we know it is always possible.

I remember waching Brandon Yurek’s phenomenal leap into home plate against Chambersburg last spring. Little did anyone know at the time that that was the last game the Waynesboro outfielder would play in 2012. He suffered a season-ending knee injury.

Page 2 of 2 - Then a senior, Yurek had hit safely in the first three games, including a 3-for-3 performance with two runs in a 5-0 win over James Buchanan and a 2-for-3 effort with two runs and two RBIs in a 17-8 win over Chambersburg three days later.

Then there’s Johnnie Adgers, who at 145 pounds played like a linebacker when he carried the ball for the Waynesboro Indians football team. The feature back for three years in a row, Adgers was known for his knack for finding the open field and picking up yards in big chunks. He could also gain yards the hard way, lowering his helmet like a battering ram into awaiting defensive players and try to pick up any extra yardage he could.

In the next to last game of the 2012 season, Adgers’ number came up. He injured an ankle and sat out the rest of the game. It wasn’t the first time he was battered and bruised — or missed games — but, it was arguably the first time I thought this might be a serious injury with some at least near-future repercussions.

Adgers, who gained over 1,500 yards as a junior and 1,117 as a senior, was questionable leading up to the season finale against Big Spring. He played, and he helped the Tribe close out the season with a win, gaining 117 yards, including a 32-yard touchdown run with 3:35 left in the game for a fitting farewell for the back who not only could take hits but dish them out. He ran in trademark form, using his agility to run side to side and cutting hard on his ankles to turn up field for yardage once he found a seam in the defense.

Adgers, who will leave big shoes to fill next season at running back, is competing this spring for the Indians track and field team.